


Shoot Your Shot

by itslilimethinks



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Fluff, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, Oblivious Mark Lee (NCT), Reader-Insert, Suh Youngho | Johnny is Whipped, cheesy af so get ready, college is stressful, jaehyun is mildly amused, mark is a terrible wingman, oh and they play basketball, so we go outside sometimes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-23
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-14 05:36:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,732
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29662569
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itslilimethinks/pseuds/itslilimethinks
Summary: Yeah, college is stressful, but at least you got a meet-cute out of it.
Relationships: Suh Youngho | Johnny/Reader
Kudos: 10





	Shoot Your Shot

your roommate is...unique, to say the least. and that’s a good enough reason for you to work someplace other than your dorm, which would ordinarily be your natural habitat. libraries were too crowded, coffee shops were too expensive, and obviously your room was out of the question, so you went to the only other place you could think of: the outdoors. there was this cute little spot next to a basketball court with a bench under a tree, and it was perfect for when all you had was a laptop, a notebook and a pair of earbuds. you ended up going there pretty much every day, and the routine brought you the peace you’d been missing within the bounds of your dormitory.

you’ve been going for a week, maybe a week and a half, when you encounter someone you’ve never met before. he looks about your age, so you figure he must be part of a different program. he’s tall, blond (though it’s clearly bleached and dyed), and kinda cute, though you’d hate to be distracted from your work or worse, get caught staring. he shoots baskets by himself, and he’s pretty decent at it too, at least to your inexperienced eye. you don’t really talk to each other, but it’d be pretty difficult to act like no one else was there too, so the pair of you landed somewhere between mutual acknowledgement and respectful silence. his appearances became more and more frequent, until he was there nearly everyday the same time as you were. very little happened between the two of you, except for one time he tried to make a shot from the opposite side of the court, and missed wildly. you couldn’t help but laugh. you’d thought it was quiet enough that he wouldn’t hear you, but clearly you were mistaken when you caught the mock-glare he threw at you right after. you looked down, both embarrassed and amused, and continued to type with a smile on your face.

you’re back the next day and so is he, but this time he’s not alone; he’s brought two of his friends with him. he’s clearly taller than both but the other two are fairly close in height, one with his hair dyed blond and the other a light pink, though his roots are starting to grow out. they act like they’ve been close for a while, and this is the first time you hear the mysterious basketball player speak. you overhear that his name is johnny, his friends’ being jaehyun and mark. the three of them are entertaining, funny even, and you find yourself wanting to reach out and play with them even though you’re no good at the game. mark and jaehyun join johnny every day now. it’s odd, but you’ve kind of started to look forward to it.

mark is the funniest, at least in your eyes. he’s got this energy to him; the way he claps his hands while he laughs is the funniest thing to you. one day the three of them are doing three-pointers and mark is up; his posture screams confidence and you can tell he thinks he’ll make it. he has this comical, cocky grin as he shoots. it’s going...going...going…

and he misses by a long shot.

you really tried not to laugh, like honestly you did, but you’re sleep deprived and this is the funniest thing you’ve ever seen. it’s not a loud laugh, but it’s enough to draw all three strangers’ attention as you keel from the intensity of your amusement. you slowly start to recover, breathing heavily, when you notice the three sets of eyes trained on you and you can feel your entire face go red as a result. this is certainly a first impression.

mark glares at you but even in that you can tell he’s about to laugh when he says, “what’s so funny?”

the sheer thought nearly makes you collapse into giggles again as you reply, “nothing,”

“they definitely watched you miss that,” jaehyun interjects, grinning.

“alright,” mark huffs, arms folded, “you do it then.”

one thing most of your friends know about you is this: you are not an athlete. far from it. you could have been, probably, but you never started as a kid and never cared to as an adult. you got decent grades in high school gym and your mile was fast enough but you were no expert, especially at basketball. you don’t know why you get up and start towards the court, pick up the ball, and make the shot that mark couldn’t.

if it had been anyone but mark they might have been miffed that you made the shot. instead, mark fell out laughing, clapping his hands and bent at the waist. you’d hate to explain this to anyone who happened to walk by. jaehyun was amused but not nearly as much as his friend was, and johnny, well johnny was a little distracted. johnny had more or less panicked when mark challenged you; he’d become so used to admiring you from afar he didn’t know what to do when you actually did anything. if you hadn’t made the shot he wasn’t sure what he’d have done (honestly he’d probably be more embarrassed than you would have been.) but hearing your laugh, seeing the shock on your face when the ball went in, johnny couldn’t help but grin. if you had been eye candy before, you were far more now.

the next day mark ropes you into playing basketball with them. you’re not quite sure how he got you to do it; you had work to do and you were pretty sure that yesterday was a fluke. you didn’t notice but johnny was glaring daggers at mark too, though mark’s grin back told johnny that’s exactly why he was doing it. so now you’re playing two-on-two: johnny and mark versus you and jaehyun, and you’re kinda actually having fun. you’re not the best but no one’s playing to win and half the time the four of you are too busy laughing to notice the ball rolling away. this feels like the first time you actually get to know the boys you’ve been watching for so long. 

...johnny looks good. it’s kind of a stupid thought but it’s there nonetheless, and you wonder why it had to come up now, the first time you’re actually in close quarters with this man. it’s not like you hadn’t noticed, you’ve been checking the guy out practically since day one. it’s just...now? it’s inconvenient. it’s even more inconvenient when mark absolutely fumbles a pass and it ends up in your hands, which wouldn’t suck at all if he hadn’t immediately ran in front of jaehyun, leaving johnny to defend you alone. welp. let’s hope this goes well.

you don’t freeze exactly, but when you try to dodge, johnny makes a move to grab the ball and in a panic you grab it and clutch it to your chest. johnny flushes just a tinge as he chuckles, saying, “you know you’re not supposed to do that, right?” did you know that? now you freeze. johnny does too, but you’re a little too panicked to notice. when you didn’t respond johnny practically imploded. was that rude??? did they think i was laughing at them? did they really not know that? i was just trying to be funny am i not funny did i make it awkward oh God i just made this so awkward- both of you are interrupted when jaehyun finally ducks away from mark and yells at you to pass the ball to him, which you manage to do with a fair amount of accuracy. you don’t see mark elbow jaehyun in the side, and you don’t see jaehyun shrug and grin back.

you don’t go to the park the next day, or the day after that. you aren’t feeling well, and by that you meant you literally couldn’t get out of bed because you’re an overworked college student who’s terrified by the idea of falling behind and therefore your personal health is pretty low on the priority list. but whatever. you’re out of commission for a couple of days, and then you’re all better! (well really you’re not, but that’s besides the point.) of course johnny doesn’t know this and he’s more than a little bit confused. worried too, because if you’ll recall, the last time you talked was during that two on two game that makes him want to slam his head into a wall no matter how many times jaehyun tells him it wasn’t that bad. (he also wanted to slam mark’s head into a wall, but, once again, that’s beside the point.) all this to say that johnny kinda sorta really missed you when you didn’t show up the first day. the second day, he started worrying that you were avoiding him, which certainly was not the case. by the third day he was sick of mark and jaehyun bothering him about you so he left the dorm early, hoping that if he got away from them maybe he could get his mind off of you. not sure why he went to the basketball court if he was trying not to think about you though.

just...you. the way you just existed. you see, it wasn’t like johnny thought you were extraordinary. the first time he ever saw you was the most mundane of things, a day where he had nothing to do. but somehow you transformed that empty moment to a grand occasion in johnny's mind, and there was no way for him to go back. you became the highlight of his day and it didn't take long until his friends picked up on it. no matter what he did they insisted on coming with him, because johnny is a lot of things but smooth will never be one of them. and God that was the best and worst thing he'd ever done because he never would've been brave enough to talk to you like mark did, never would've gotten the chance to see that you were so much more than a pretty face. and yeah, it was awkward, yeah, it was scary but the fact that he got to know you? at least a little bit? it was all worth it. 

he still wants to strangle mark though.

johnny's still thinking when he sees you approach, and even then it takes a moment for the panic to set in. he's not sure why he's surprised because he was hoping you'd come, but as you near your favorite spot he can't help but fidget and fumble and hope he doesn't make a fool of himself in front of you (again.) it’s funny, really, the way he thinks he's such a mess. who’s gonna tell him he’s not?

certainly not you, as you approach, because you’re too busy relishing in your newfound freedom. if you had to spend one more second with your roommate...maybe murder is okay. but now you’re here and you forgot how much the fresh air does for you, you forgot how happy it made you to be somewhere outside four walls. maybe having a friend(?) waiting for you didn’t hurt either.

you toss johnny an awkward greeting, something involving a wave and a nod and you realize as you do it that you’re just a smidge too early for it to make sense; the eye-contact is inevitable but you’re still too far apart to talk. you nearly catch yourself cringing at the odd little spot you’ve put yourself in, but you manage to twist it into a tight-lipped look that johnny can’t help laughing at. you soon follow suit, and maybe his laugh makes your day a little brighter than you thought it would. maybe you missed this, too.  
when you’re finally close enough for comfort, johnny saves you from coming up with something worthwhile to say. “i was starting to wonder if we scared you away,” he half-jokes, and the grin he says it with isn’t as much fake as it is a tiny bit apprehensive, which somehow doesn’t diminish it in the slightest.

“and miss today’s game?” you reply, “i would never.” 

the two of you mellow out into something akin to a comfortable silence for a moment before johnny says, “so where’ve you been the past couple of days?”

pulling out your laptop, you explain, “i was sick,”

“are you feeling any better?” he asks, peering over your shoulder (at a respectable distance, of course).

“uh, yeah,” you answer as you arrange your digital workspace, clicking and dragging your life into some semblance of order after the time you lost the past couple of days. you pull up a half-finished essay and start typing as the two of you continue to talk.

johnny runs a hand through his hair as he continues his casual interrogation. “what are you working on?”

“lang and comp paper,” you respond, eyes trained on your work, “rhetorical analysis,” your companion raises his eyebrows, though you don’t catch the look.

“on what?”

“classic film of our choice. i went with citizen kane.”

“definitely a classic,” johnny affirms, and the tone of his voice teases a chuckle out of you you weren’t expecting.

“what about you?” you shift topics, feeling just the tiniest bit guilty about your clipped responses. you want to talk to him, but you need to knock this paper out too. plus making direct eye contact is more than a little distracting. he seriously looks like that all the time? isn’t it exhausting?

clearly unable to take himself seriously, johnny replies, “oh, i’m classic alright.” that one makes you more than just chuckle, and your eyes can’t help but flicker over his face; it’s got this weird mix of self-satisfaction and absolute horror spilled all over it. it’s like he can’t believe he actually said that. it’s kinda cute. 

“i meant more like what’s your major,” you clarify, biting back a lingering smile.

“music,” he responds, “with a concentration in production. i almost went into photography, but...”

you pick up where johnny trails off, saying, “i get it. i’m a film student and i don’t even like photography kids.” the comfortable silence comes back after that and something pleasant settles in the pit of your stomach. this is...surprisingly easy. for some reason you’d thought that talking to the guy you’ve been watching for the past couple of weeks would be weird or intense and you’d have to go on some dramatic quest to prove your worthiness before you uttered a single word. instead, you got a tall, funny, oddly 

comforting music major who you were far from opposed to getting to know. life is full of surprises, huh?  
you talk off and on for an amount of time you don’t want to tack down, in hopes that time would have the courtesy to bend for the sake of the little oasis the two of you created. another lull in conversation hits and you’re about to ask him if he’d maybe want to grab lunch sometime when you hear two pairs of footsteps and a telltale laugh that ends up dragging you out to the court to play with them again. it’s safe to say you won’t get anything else done today.

it’s weird, the way the three of them fall into your routine. you don’t see them anywhere else, never talk to them outside of the basketball court and the little bench on the side, but on the days you don’t you feel a little lonelier than you ought to. some days you play with them, some days you don’t. some days you just sit and watch and make eye contact with johnny when mark does something stupid or jaehyun says something funny and all you know to do is bite your tongue and hope neither of you crack. every once in a while you and johnny talk before the other two come and drag him away, and sometimes you catch the look in their eyes when they do. regardless, somehow seeing johnny and his friends becomes the highlight of your day. even if that means you have to make up your work later than you ever usually would.

and then exams roll around. on the one hand, the end of semester comes with the glorious release into summer, one that you plan to spend far, far away from your drafty dorm and awful roommate. on the other (much larger) hand, they’re exams. and you’ve never been more underprepared in your life. as of late you found yourself working less and less by the basketball court; as much as you enjoyed it before, you need to focus now. but once again cabin fever has you in it’s grip and you hardly realize where you’re going until you’re already there. just like always, the fresh air and natural light helps ease your anxieties as you get to work, though the thrumming nervousness you can’t seem to shake is still there. but it’s fine. at least you’re getting work done.

it’s not long before johnny and his friends show up, and somewhere in the back of your head you register that mark’s laugh is too loud, that someone’s...whispering? sparing the three a glance, you can tell something’s up, but it doesn’t seem to be anything particularly bad and honestly, you have bigger fish to fry. they can be a little extra weird.

you look back down and you swear it’s only a moment before mark is practically on top of you, saying, “you should come play with us,” it’s...not a question, the way he says it, but the look on his face confuses you nonetheless.

“sorry, i can’t today,” you say, tossing the reply over the screen of your laptop as you look down once again, “i’m busy.” bold of you to assume this interaction is over.

mark’s not one to take no for an answer, you realize, as he insists, “i really think you should play today though,” and you finally put a name to the grin you can’t seem to escape. he looks like he knows something you don’t.

miffed, you look up to tell him, “i just told you-” before johnny cuts in.

“mark,” he asserts, staring daggers at his friend. that’s all it takes for mark to turn his attention away from you, hands in the air as he meets johnny’s glower with a look of indignant surprise. 

he starts to stammer his defense when jaehyun joins the fray, saying pointedly, “mark, don’t we have that exam coming up?”

mark’s face shifts to one of confusion as he replies “no? i thought we-” only for jaehyun to cut him off again.

“i think we need to go study,” jaehyun spells out, looking mark in the eyes, “like at the library or something,”

you’re pretty sure you got that hint before mark did as you watch his face light up in understanding, his distinctive laugh ringing out once again. him and jaehyun walk away, leaving you looking just as lost as johnny does embarrassed.

“are they...” you trail off, mild concern lacing your tone.

“i’m so sorry,” johnny starts at the same time, not sheepish but awfully close. “they’re...i don’t have an excuse. they’re just like that,”

you huff a mock-laugh more out of politeness than anything else, starting to regret your choice to come outside. it’s not that you don’t miss hanging out, you’re just too stressed to be fun, and you’d rather not drag their moods down because you’re worried about a test. you furrow your brow at the study guide that made a lot more sense when you made it last night.

“what are you studying?” johnny asks, and you feel a brief wave of deja vu wash over you as you reply.

“lang and comp,” you say. the dread in your voice tells him all he needs to know.

“they gave you an objective exam for a writing class?” he sounds puzzled, which is new for you but somehow still endearing.

“yup,” you sigh, “no idea how i’m gonna pull this off.”

it’s oddly reassuring the way johnny says, “you’ll do well.” there’s a finality to his words, however unfounded they may be.

but you still shake your head, because it’s gonna take more than that for your worries to be assuaged. “probably not, this professor’s insane.”

“who, sooman?” johnny argues, reading the name of your professor off the screen “he’s easy work, no problem. his tests are long but they’re right out the textbook.” apparently you don’t look convinced enough, because he tacks on the end, “seriously, i’ll bet on it, you’ll do fine.” you can’t help but raise an eyebrow at that one, because no matter how stressed you are you never miss the chance for free stuff. and maybe, just maybe, having someone who’s more confident in your abilities than you are can bring your mood up.

“...bet what,”

“you know that new coffee shop?”

you nod, though you can’t remember the name. something with neo, you think? “yeah,”

“i’ll bet anything you want, on me,” johnny says, and this is too easy.

“and what do i bet?”

“nothing,” he insists, “because you’re gonna ace that test,”

“this doesn’t sound like much of a bet,” you say, suspicious despite the growing smile on your face.

“maybe it’d be better to call it a date instead,” johnny replies apprehensively, the barest tinge of a flush on his cheeks. you mull it over for a moment, though it’s more for show than anything else.

“i’m fine with that,”

schooling his features into a face of playful indifference, he asks, “can i get your number then? to see how you do,”

“of course,” you say, though you both know it’s only an excuse. the two of you exchange, dancing around the excitement you’re both trying and failing to hide. johnny cracks first, letting out a sigh of relief.

“now mark can finally get off my back,” he mutters, and you, big surprise here, can’t help but laugh.

“for what, this?” you ask.

johnny averts his eyes as he replies, “yeah. it’s....it’s been going on for a while now,”

“how long?”

“since like...the first time we played here,”

that explains a lot.

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading!! uhhh i don't write for nct super often but if you're interested i have a (fairly ia) tumblr for them so check out @goodluckchenle if you're interested


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